Sunday, February 22, 2009

A little bird...

...told me. All of those whisperings. Did they start in my head or my best girlfriends? Are the whisperings instincts gently leading me or was it something I read? I'm not sure...so I'll just say I must have heard it from a little bird.

Above is a look at the beginnings of this piece. First, I primed muslin with gesso adding lots of texture. Once the gesso was dry, I painted with various shades and sprinkled paint droplets on top. I then cut a piece of the muslin to size for the canvas of "A little bird" saving the leftovers for another project. I matte mediumed paper scraps, trim and ribbon on top and then went in and painted more detail. I used embroidery floss to hand stitch the lettering and outlines on the bird. I finished with a variety of swirly machine stitches to suggest all of those whisperings we hear. Zigzag stitches enhance the texture of the grass. I think throwing sewing into the mixed media pot adds unique elements of interest and charm. I'll definitely be experimenting with more of that.